Jordan Zimmermann 'outstanding' to help Tigers slog past Yankees, 2-0

Five catchers with most games caught in MLB history. No. 1 on the list is former Tigers catcher Ivan Rodriguez, who'll be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on July 30, 2017. Video by Ryan Ford/DFP
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NEW YORK – It took all day. Literally, all day. Wednesday afternoon’s game between the Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees started one hour and 26 minutes late. After seven innings, another delay, this one three hours and 11 minutes.

And when it was all said and done, one team took advantage of their opportunities. The other did not.

Pitching in the smallest of parks on Wednesday afternoon, Detroit Tigers right-hander Jordan Zimmermann did his part in squandering two Yankees opportunities that could have rewritten an outstanding day on the mound.

Zimmermann twice erased a pair of two-men on situations and pitched perhaps his best game of the season, throwing his first scoreless outing in over the year as the Tigers beat the Yankees, 2-0, in a long day at work.

He was great, keeping his opponents off-balance and most importantly – in the park – on a drizzly and gray day in the Bronx. In total, there were four hours and 37 minutes of delays.

“I feel good,” he said. “Other than the one start after the All-Star break, I’ve been pretty good. I feel strong and the ball is coming out of my hand much better than it did in the first half of the season. I hope it continues."

Zimmermann allowed six hits over seven innings. He struck out six and walked none. It marked the first time since last June in which he pitched seven innings in back-to-back starts.

The Tigers jumped on Yankees right-hander Masahiro Tanaka early, recording hits on three of his first five pitches. An RBI double from Justin Upton opened the scoring. But with runners on second and third base and nobody out, they could not extend the lead, as Miguel Cabrera and Nick Castellanos both struck out swinging and Victor Martinez flied out.

Shortstop Dixon Machado reacts after catching a shallow fly ball by the Yankees' Clint Frazier for the final out in the Tigers' 4-3 victory at Yankee Stadium in New York, Aug. 1, 2017. Kathy Willens, AP

Tigers shortstop Dixon Machado talks to reliever Shane Greene after Greene threw the ball past first base on a pickoff attempt, allowing the Yankees' Jacoby Ellsbury to advance to third in the ninth inning at Yankee Stadium on Aug. 1, 2017. Greene earned the save when Clint Frazier popped out to Machado to end the game for a 4-3 Tigers win. Kathy Willens, AP

825376618.jpg NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 01: James McCann #34 of the Detroit Tigers is tagged out at home plate by Gary Sanchez #24 of the New York Yankees to end the eighth inning at Yankee Stadium on August 1, 2017 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) Jim McIsaac, Getty Images

Tigers rightfielder Jim Adduci makes the catch for the out on a hit by Yankees third baseman Todd Frazier in the sixth inning of the Tigers' 7-3 loss on Monday, July 31, 2017, in New York. Elsa, Getty Images

Tigers shortstop Dixon Machado makes the out at second but fails to turn the double play in the sixth inning as Yankees first baseman Chase Headley is out at second during the Tigers' 7-3 loss on Monday, July 31, 2017, in New York. Elsa, Getty Images

While Zimmermann cruised, the Tigers tacked on a run in the fourth inning when James McCann extended a career-long hitting streak to 12 games with an RBI single to centerfield, scoring Mikie Mahtook, who was running hard from first base and scored when Jacoby Ellsbury bobbled the ball not once or twice, but three times.

According to MLB StatCast, Mahtook went from first-to-home in 10.36 seconds, the fastest time of a Tiger traveling the same distance this season.

Zimmermann danced out of two dilemmas.

In the third inning, New York put two men on with one out when Brett Gardner and Ellsbury delivered back-to-back singles, but Zimmermann struck out Aaron Judge and induced a groundout to third base from Gary Sanchez. In the sixth inning, Judge led off with a single and Sanchez doubled to left, putting runners on second and third base with nobody out.

What followed was equally good pitching by Zimmermann and bad baseball by the Yankees, who only needed two outs to tie the game: With lefty batter Didi Gregorious up, he could have hit a groundball to the right side of the infield to score one run. Then a sacrifice fly would have scored the other. Instead, Gregorious and Matt Holliday popped straight up and Chase Headley struck out swinging.

“I threw him a couple change-ups and some fastballs and (McCann) came out and asked what I was thinking,” Zimmermann said. “I said back-door curveball. He said, ‘I like it.’ We went with it and I threw it right where I needed to.”

He pounded the zone and did not walk a batter for the fifth time this season. His curveball was terrific. After a lead-off single in the fourth inning, he struck out the side looking.

The rains, which threatened throughout the day with drizzles, finally came in earnest as the top of the eighth inning began.

When play resumed, at 8:01 p.m., Yankees right-hander Dellin Betances threw an immaculate inning, striking out the Tigers on nine pitches in the eighth.

Bruce Rondon relieved Zimmermann and his outing began ominously when Ellsbury reached on an infield single. He fell behind both Judge and Sanchez but struck them out and threw a scoreless inning.

Ausmus said he was pitching with two busted spikes.

“He did a good job,” Ausmus said. “He was able to get through the big part of their lineup.”

Shane Greene picked up his second straight save in the ninth inning.

With the win, the Tigers have won consecutive series against the Houston Astros and Yankees, two teams in American League playoff contention. It took all day – over seven hours from start to finish – but it was a big win for the Tigers to end their time in the Big Apple.

“The Yankees are in the thick of a race and it was probably the fair thing to do to try and finish,” Ausmus said. “It’s a good team. We played Houston at home it was a good team. We gotta keep doing that and chip away.”